March 10, 2018 – Step by Step

Today,Step Eight – ” ...became willing to make amends …” – Understand that simply becoming willing to be free of my character defects means nothing if I do not understand why I must make amends. To become willing, I must first accept that I have damaged not only myself but others whose anger at me, the injury I inflicted on them and possible permanent damage may still be too fresh for acceptance of my apologies. It is in Step Nine in which we hear the need for more than becoming willing: we make our amends “except when to do so would injure” those to whom we apologize and others who may be collateral damage on our trail of destruction. A failure to see or understand and feel the need to release the defects that contributed to my misconduct may mean I might still harbor those defects, however deeply, and that they may resurface to derail my recovery. Today, if I have an amend to make, God grant that I feel with honesty, sincerity, humility and a healing hand why I must do so. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M., 2018